MLR originated as The Maple Leaf Rag, edited by Garth Spencer, which was published from 1983 till 1987, with 30 issues appearing during that time. After the 30th issue in 1987, Spencer passed editorship on to Michael Skeet, who published 14 more issues under the title MLR from 1987 to 1990 in Toronto, Ontario.

MLR served as Canada's national science fiction newsletter. Contributors included Robert Runté (Neology), and Paul Valcour.

At the same time as he was publishing MLR, Micheal Skeet was also one of the collective that included Lloyd Penney, Keith Soltys, Nancy Soltys, and Michael Wallis, who together were publishing Torus from 1986 till 1990.